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The Italian Unabomber
|mo = Bombing |time = September 1978? December 8, 1993 - May 6, 2006 |type = Power seeker Technician Revenge|victims = 23 attempted}} Unabomber (or The Italian Unabomber) is the name attributed to a still unidentified serial bomber active in northeast Italy between the early nineties (possibly late seventies) and 2006. Case History In September 1978, in Pordenone, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, a booby-trapped transistor radio exploded, wounding a laborer who was handling it. The man lost his hand. On June 7, 1988, in Pordenone, another bomb, disguised as a flashlight, wounded an elementary school kid. On August 20, 1993, in Francenigo di Gaiarine (Treviso, Veneto), an explosive device detonated inside a grape. These were the first incidents possibly attributable to the Italian Unabomber. 1993-1994 On December 8, 1993, in Pontevecchio (Portogruaro, Venezia), a phone booth was utterly destroyed by a bomb blast. On August 21, 1994, in Sacile (Pordenone), four people were wounded by the detonation of a pipe bomb, during the 72nd edition of the local bird fest. On 17th December, again in Pordenone, a pipe bomb detonated in front of a local supermarket. The very next day, on December 18, another explosive device blew up inside a church in Aviano (Pordenone). 1995-1996 On March 5, 1995, in Azzano Decimo (Pordenone), during the local Mardi Gras celebration, two more pipe bombs went off. On September 30, in Pordenone, a pipe bomb (set up with banknotes as a "bait") severely wounded the elderly Anna Pignat. The very same day, a woman found another pipe bomb, which was later detonated by the authorities. On December 11, 24 and 26, four phone booths were destroyed by bomb blasts in Aquileia (Udine), Latisana (Udine) and Bibione (Venezia). On April 2, 1996, in Claut (Friuli-Venezia Giulia), a small explosion occurred. Another victimless bombing affected Bannia (Fiume Veneto), on April 22. On August 4, a pipe bomb exploded wounding a vacationer on the beach of Lignano Sabbiadoro. Another pipe bomb was recovered the same day on another beach in Bibione. On February 1, 1998, in Poncicco (Zoppola), a bomb was recovered inside a bistro (the episode is generally unattributed to the Italian Unabomber, who remained dormant between 1996 and 2000). 2000-2001 On March 6, 2000, in San Vito al Tagliamento (Pordenone), a booby-trapped spray can was recovered during a Mardi Gras celebration. On July 6, in Lignano Sabbiadoro, former policeman Giorgio Novelli was wounded by a pipe bomb placed on the beach. On September 13, in San Stino di Livenza (Venezia), a woman was wounded by a pipe bomb placed inside a grape. On October 31, a booby-trapped carton of eggs was recovered by one Giorgio Mardinelli. On November 1, another bomb was recovered inside the San Stino di Livenza grape. On November 7, in Pinè (Cordignano, Treviso), Nadia Ros was wounded by the explosion of a booby-trapped by a tomato tube she bought in a Portogruaro supermarket (the same where Giorgio Mardinelli bought the booby-trapped carton of eggs). On November 17, another booby-trapped tube of Mayonnaise bought in the Portogruaro supermarket was recovered. On November 2, 2001, in Motta di Livenza, cemetery caretaker Anita Buosi was badly wounded by a booby-trapped candle. 2002-2003 On July 23, 2002, in Porcia (Pordenone), a booby-trapped hazelnut and cocoa spread jar exploded without hurting anyone. On September 2, again in Pordenone, a booby-trapped soap bubbles tube exploded, wounding a five-year-old boy. On 25 December, in Cordenons, a pipe bomb exploded inside a church. On March 24, 2003, an explosive device detonated inside the restrooms of Pordenone's courthouse. The investigators, especially prosecutor Domenico Labozetta, whom, at that time, was in charge of the Unabomber case, and whose office stands in the nearings of the restrooms, interpret it as a challenge towards them. On April 25, in Fagarè della Battaglia (San Biagio di Callalta, Treviso), a nine-year-old girl was wounded by a booby-trapped highlighter. 2004-2006 On April 2, 2004, in Portogruaro, a nitroglycerin explosive device was recovered inside a pillow from a church's kneeler. On January 26, 2005, in Treviso, a booby-trapped plastic shell (coupled with another shell containing a toy) exploded after a boy kicked it. On March 13, in Motta di Livenza, a booby-trapped candle exploded, wounding a girl and a woman (coincidentially, Anita Buosi, the woman who was previously wounded by another candle bomb, had interacted with the same chandelier just before). On March 16, in Bacău, Romania, a booby-trapped can of fish from Concordia Saggitaria (Venezia) was recovered by nuns. On July 9, in Portogruaro, a bomb (neutralized due to rain) was recovered by a woman under her bicycle's saddle. On May 6, 2006, in Santa Margherita (Caorle, Venezia), Massimiliano Bozzo, a nurse, and his girlfriend were wounded by a booby-trapped bottle. Modus Operandi The Italian Unabomber's M.O. varied from simple pipe bombs (filled with gunpowder or fertilizers) placed in streets and crowded places (squares, beaches and churches, especially on holidays such as Mardi Gras, Christmas and other local celebrations and fests) to sophisticated booby traps disguised as apparently harmless everyday objects (toys, markers...) and supermarket products, which were then restored by him on the shelves (eggs cartons, sauce tubes, cream jars...). He sometimes placed some sort of "bait" in the nearings of his devices, in order to more easily attract people (banknotes, toys). During the last years of his activity, he devised even more lethal devices, containing nitroglycerin. At least on one occasion, he was able to include a timing mechanism. Profile TBA Suspects *Elvo Zornitta (1957) **Engineer **Worked for OTO Melara, a former Italian defense contractor. One of his ex-colleagues denounced him to the authorities **Bricolage enthusiast **Police searched his home and workshop in Azzano Decimo, in May 2004, and found several interesting objects, including: ***Emptied plastic pen-holders, which Unabomber reportedly used for manufacturing his devices ***Batteries matching those Unabomber used in some of his bombs ***Electrical wires matching those Unabomber used in at least one of his bombs ***A roll of duct tape matching the one Unabomber used in at least one of his bombs ***A potentiometer ***Yeast vials of a notorious Italian brand, matching those Unabomber used in at least one of his bombs ***A compressed air canister for air guns, matching those employed for the supermarket products booby traps ***Firecracks emptied of gunpowder ***Markers envelopes ***Peppermints tins with glued cartridges ***Chocolate eggs' plastic shells ***Other cheap materials matching those Unabomber reportedly employed in his bombs **Other circumstancial evidence include: ***Zornitta lived and worked in a 20-mile radius from the Unabomber reported area of activity ***Zornitta had, in his own admission, technical competence to build the devices Unabomber employed ***Two incidents (in Pordenone and Azzano Decimo) coincided with Zornitta's relocation to those cities ***Unabomber's hiatus coincided with the birth of Zornitta's daughter and subsequent health issues of his wife ***Zornitta's place of birth, Belluno (Veneto), has some shops which sell styrofoam objects matching those found on the crime scenes of the bombings. Those shops were frequened by Zornitta's relatives ***Several of Zornitta's absences from work or journeys coincided with some of the bombings ***An unknown man similar to Zornitta has been caught by Pordenone's courthouse CCTV cameras, on the day of the restrooms bombing ***Zornitta reportedly frequented the supermarkets targeted by Unabomber ***Of the 132 people inquired during the course of the investigations, Zornitta was the only one to present these characteristics all together **Monitored by police for an extended period of time, also during some of Unabomber's bombings. Was ruled out over some of the latters, though investigtators argued he managed to escape their surveillance **Was said to have suffered a crisis of faith, due to his brother's illness **Ezio Zernar, a forensic investigator, attempted to frame him by altering toolmarks on a pair of scissors found in Zornitta's workshop. The case was filed and Zernar disciplined consequently **Zornitta is currently suing the Italian State for a settlement due to his defamation *Andrea Agostinis Known Victims *September 1978, Pordenone, Friuli-Venezia Giulia: an unnamed labourer *June 7, 1988, Pordenone, Friuli-Venezia Giulia: an unnamed kid *1993: **August 20, Francenigo di Gaiarine, Treviso, Veneto: a victimless bombing **December 8, Pontevecchio, Portogruaro, Venezia, Veneto: a victimless phone booth bombing *1994: **August 21, Sacile, Portogruaro, Venezia, Veneto: an unnamed woman and three others **December 17, Pordenone, Friuli-Venezia Giulia: a victimless pipe bombing **December 18, Aviano, Pordenone, Friuli-Venezia Giulia: a victimless bombing inside a church *1995: **March 5, Azzano Decimo, Pordenone, Friuli-Venezia Giulia: two victimless pipe bombings **September 30, Pordenone, Friuli-Venezia Giulia: ***Anna Pignat ***An unnamed woman **December 11, Aquileia, Udine, Friuli-Venezia Giulia: a victimless phone booth bombing **December 24, Latisana, Udine, Friuli-Venezia Giulia: a victimless phone booth bombing **December 26, Bibione, Venezia, Veneto: a victimless phone booth bombing *1996: **April 2, Claut, Friuli-Venezia Giulia: a victimless small explosion **April 22, Bannia, Fiume Veneto, Friuli-Venezia Giulia: a victimless bombing **August 4, Lignano Sabbiadoro, Udine, Friuli-Venezia Giulia and Bibione, San Michele al Tagliamento, Venezia, Veneto: ***Roberto Curcio ***An unnamed lifeguard *1998: **February 1, Poncicco, Zappola, Friuli-Venezia Giulia: a bomb was recovered inside a bistro *2000: **March 6, San Vito al Tagliamento, Pordenone, Friuli-Venezia Giulia: a booby trap was recovered **July 6, Lignano Sabbiadoro, Udine, Friuli-Venezia Giulia: Giorgio Novelli **September 13, San Stino di Livenza, Venezia, Veneto: an unnamed woman **October 31, Portogruaro, Venezia, Veneto: Giorgio Mandinelli **November 1, San Stino di Livenza, Venezia, Veneto: another bomb was recovered **November 7, Pinè, Cordignano, Treviso, Veneto: Nadia Ros **November 17, Roveredo in Piano, Friuli-Venezia Giulia: a booby trap was recovered *2001: **Motta di Livenza, Treviso, Veneto: Anita Buosi *2002: **July 23, Porcia, Pordenone, Friuli-Venezia Giulia: an unnamed woman **September 2, Pordenone, Friuli-Venezia Giulia: an unnamed five-year-old boy **December 25, Cordenons, Friuli-Venezia Giulia: a victimless pipe bombing *2003: **March 24, courthouse of Pordenone, Friuli-Venezia Giulia: a victimless bombing inside the restrooms **April 25, Fagarè della Battaglia, San Biagio di Callalta, Treviso, Veneto: Francesca *2004: **April 2, Portogruaro, Venezia, Veneto: an explosive device is recovered inside a church *2005: **January 26, Treviso, Veneto: an unnamed boy **March 13, Motta di Livenza, Treviso, Veneto: ***An unnamed girl ***An unnamed woman **March 16, Bacău, Romania: a booby-trapped can of fish was recovered. **July, 9, Portogruaro, Venezia, Veneto: a neutralized nitroglycerin bomb was recovered *2006: **May 6, Porto Santa Margherita, Caorle, Venezia, Veneto: ***Massimiliano Bozzo ***An unnamed woman On Criminal Minds *Season Ten: **"Hero Worship" - Although yet to be directly referenced in the show, the Italian Unabomber may have, at least partially, inspired one of the two episode's unsubs, James Burke - Both were serial bombers who targeted public places, caused almost no deadly victims (Burke only accidentally killed a custodian), and were motivated by revenge (this is only suspected in the Italian Unabomber's case). Sources * Italian Wikipedia's article on Unabomber * Tutti gli attentati di Unabomber - Corriere della Sera * Igor Mavric, Paolo Cossi. Unabomber * Diciassette indizi contro l'ingegnere - Corriere delle Alpi Belluno Category:Stubs Category:Real People Category:Real World Criminals Category:Real Life Killers Category:Unsolved Cases Category:Real Life Bombers Category:Unreferenced Criminals Category:Real Foreign Criminals